Sports of The Times; Packers' Favre Shows What the Giants Need

Published: November 16, 1998

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—
AS soon as Brett Favre's dart stuck in Tyrone Davis's hands for a 2-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter yesterday, a voice in the press box intoned: ''That is Favre's 200th touchdown pass; he's the second fastest to 200 in N.F.L. history. He did it in his 107th game; Dan Marino did it in his 89th game.''

On another Favre completion in the second quarter, the Green Bay Packers' quarterback soared over 25,000 career passing yards. When he collaborated with Davis, his tight end, for a 60-yard score and his 201st touchdown pass, he tied Roman Gabriel for 21st place on the career list. And he's only 29 years old.

Now that's a quarterback.

Throughout the Packers' 37-3 rout, the changes in the out-of-town results on the scoreboard were more compelling than anything the Giants did. Long before the remnants of 76,272 spectators watched the final minutes, Favre displayed what the Packers possess and what the Giants so desperately need: a quarterback.

In another dreary performance, Danny Kanell completed only 8 of 20 passes for only 88 yards with 2 interceptions and 3 sacks.

For the first time, Coach Jim Fassel would not confirm that Kanell would be the quarterback in the Giants' next game -- even against the 2-8 Eagles, who lost yesterday to the now 2-8 Redskins.

All that Fassel would say about the identity of next Sunday's quarterback was, ''I don't know yet,'' meaning Kent Graham, the backup who completed 2 of 5 passes for 12 yards yesterday, might start.

With the Giants now having lost five of six games for a 3-7 record, Kanell keeps getting worse. He talked about ''this being part of the struggle you have to go through'' as a young quarterback, but the Giants' hierarchy has to be wondering if the struggle is just too much for him.

Unless Kanell suddenly shows much more potential over the rest of the season, Fassel and General Manager Ernie Accorsi must be hoping that there's a quality quarterback who will still be available in the National Football League's annual stock show of prime beef in April.

The touted names are Kentucky's Tim Couch (if he doesn't decide to remain in college for another season), Central Florida's Daunte Culpepper, U.C.L.A.'s Cade McNown, Kansas State's Mike Bishop and the University of Washington's Brock Huard.

The expansion Cleveland Browns II have the first choice in April. And three other teams with worse records than the Giants are expected to covet young quarterbacks -- the Carolina Panthers, now at 1-9, along with the Eagles and the Redskins.

Even if the Giants were to grab one of the touted rookie quarterbacks, they also would be wise to hire an older quarterback to get through the next season or two, as the Jets did in signing Vinny Testaverde and as the Buffalo Bills did in importing Doug Flutie from the Canadian Football League.

Whatever the Giants do, they can't go into next season with only Kanell, Graham and their current third-stringer, Mike Cherry, on the roster.

With the Giants' offense unable to generate a touchdown now for nearly 10 quarters, Kanell has shown himself to be no better than the departed Dave Brown, if not worse. And with Favre on display, the Giants' loyalists saw the quality of quarterback the Giants need if they are to be a Super Bowl contender again.

No other quarterback slings the ball off balance or off his back foot the way Favre does. And no other quarterback seems to exult in the fun of the game the way Favre does.

Against the Giants, Favre hit 21 of 33 for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions. And if Mike Holmgren, the Packers' coach, had let him throw more than two passes, which he completed, in the final quarter, Favre would have had a 300-yard game, maybe a 400-yard game.

Told later of Holmgren's remark, Favre smiled that mischievous smile and denied he was bored, saying: ''I wouldn't call it bored. I was happy we were up, I was pleased with the way we were playing, but I don't think I was bored.'' Maybe not, but he would rather have been throwing passes.